Air-brake attachment.



uNrrED sTATns ra'rnur cerros.

MURRAY HENRY, F ALEXANDRIA., LOUISINA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 JGSEPHGEBHARDT, 0F ALEXANDRI. LOUISIANA.

.em-:BRAKE ATTACHMENT.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 25, 1916. Serial No. 99,843.

To all rwhom t may concern Beit known that I, MURRAY HENRY, a citizen-of the United States, residing at Alexandria, in the parish' of Rapidesand State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Air-Brake Attachments, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in means for automatically lockingthe brakes of a vehicle, such as a railway oar, in the set position,upon the application of the air pressure. v

An important object of the invention is to provide means of the abovementioned character, which are adapted to he installed upon or appliedto the ordinary vor standard brake mechanism, without materiallyaltering the construction thereof.

A'further object of the invention is to provide means of the abovementioned character, adapted for connection with the exhaust port of thestandard or ordinary7 triplel valve, to be actuated by pressure escapingfrom the exhaust.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the abovementioned character, which is simple in construction, inexpensive tomanufacture, strong, durable, and reliable in operation.

Other yobjects and advantages of the invention will be 'apparent duringthe course of the jollowing deseription.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts "throughout thesame, Figure 1 is a v central vertical longitudinal sectional viewthrough apparatus embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and,Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

`In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a brakecylinder, ordinarily arranged beneath a railway car or the like. Mountedto reciprocate within the brake cylinder 5 is a brake piston 6, having atubular piston rod 7 connected therewith. This piston rod operatesthrough an opening 8 formed in a tubular extension 9 of a, head 10. Thehead lIn order that the tubular piston `rod 7 may not turn upon itslongitudinal axis, lit 1s provided with a longitudinally extendingspline or rib 11, operating in a lgroove `12, formed in the tubularextension 9, as shown. Surrounding the piston rod 7 is a compressiblecoil spring 13, serving to return the piston 6 to its normalposition.The tubular piston rod 7 is provided upon its upper portion with alongitudinal set of ratchet teeth 14, which do not lock with the wall ofthe opening 8. Extending upwardly from the forward end of the tubularextension 9 is a vertical guide casing 15, preferably integraltherewith. Mounted to slide in this guide casing is a verticallyreciprocatory pawl 16,

the lower end of whichis beveled, as shown'k latented J an.23, 1917;

with extensions or flanges 18, projecting into y pockets 19, andcontacting with balls 20 therein, as ,shown ll'h'e upper ends of thepockets 19 may be suitably closed to prevent` the Descape of theseballs. The pawl 16 is moved dcwnwardlyby a spring 21, which engages o,cross-head 2h22, attached to the upper end of the guide casing 15, asshown.

From the oregoing description it is apparent that when the tubularpiston rod. 7 is moved forwardly, the pawl 16 will automatically movedownwardly, trip upon the teeth 14 and loclr the piston 16 againstreturning movement prior to' the upward releasing movement of the pawl.

The pawl 16Lis moved upwardly by a bellcranl; lever 23, pivoted to astationary support 24, shown at 25. One arm vofthis bell crank leverprojects into an opening -2S formed in the pawl and thereby has a loosepivotal connection therewith. The lower end of the' opposite arm of thebell crank lever is preferably 'forked and provided with longitudinalslots 27, receiving a pivot element or rod 23, extending through the-end of the piston rod 29. This piston rod extends through a head 30,formed upon a lock-cylinder 31. as shown.' This lock-cylinder ispreferably formed integral with the head 10. Mounted to reciprocatewithin the lock-cylinder 31 is a lock-piston 32, having connection withthe rod 29. A suitably coil spring 33 surrounds the rod 29 and Vservesto return the lock-piston 32 to its normal starting position. It is thusap- Anected with the triple valve is a pipe 37,

l23 to be turned upon its pivot for moving the pavvl 16 out ofengagement with the teeth 14.

The numeral 34 designates an auxiliary reservoir, Vof the usualconstruction, connected with an ordinary triple valve 35, in the usualmanner. This triple valve has connection with a train line pipe 36.Conwhich supplies pressure to the cylinder 5, as shown. Leading into theexhaust of the triple valve 35 is a pipe 38, having communication with aport 39, 'discharging into the lock-cylinder 31. A T-coupling 10 ispreferably connected in the pipe 38 and has a permanentlyopen port or.vent 41, which is reduced, and preferably having a diameter ofone-third of the diameter of the bore of the pipe 38. The function ofthis T-coupling and its contracted port is to provide means whereby theloclepiston 32 cannot be improperly operated by' pressure from thetriple valve 35 if the same -should leak, it

levers 43 have pivotal `connection with links being understood that thecontracted port 11 does not permit of the escape of all of the pressurefrom the pipe 33, When the triple valve exhausts, sufficient pressurebeing-retained `for the proper operation o the lockpiston 32.

It is often desirable to 'have manually operated means to release thepavvl 16, operating 'in conjunction with the automatic means for thispurpose. To provide for this, the housing casing 15 is provided withforwardly projecting arms 4Q, to which. are pivoted levers 43, as shownat The. inner ends of these levers 43 are pivotally connected with theends of the rod 9.8. The

15, extending to the side of the car and `adapted to be manuallyoperated, Vas is obvious. It is apparent that when either link Y 45 ismoved outwardly, the rod 29 Will be moved toward the guide casing 15,eiecting a swinging movement of the bell-crank lever 23 to bring thepawl 16 out of engagement with the teeth 111 of the tubular piston rod.

The numeral 46 designates a push brake rod, having suitable connectionwith the brake rigging and inserted Within the tubular pist-on rod 7.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: When it is desired toapply the brakes, the engineers air brake valve is manipulated intheusual manner to reduce the pressure in the train line 36. The airpressure will now pass from the auxiliary reservoir 34, through thetriple valve36 and pipe 37, to the cylinder This forces the brake piston6 to the left applying the brakes, until the pressure is equalized inthe pipe 38 and' the train line pipe 36. During the longtum dinalmovement of the tubular piston 11 the left, the pawl 16 trips upon theteeth le, whereby this'pawl Wil automatically' loclr the tubular pistonagainst returning move-f ment, until the pavvl is shifts l to therelease position. By y this means the brakes are locked in the setcondition. The brakes having been applied and locked they may be released by shifting the handle of the engr neers air brake valve to thefull release po sition. This restores the pressure in theV train linepipe 36. The triple valve 35 is now operated to cut olf the supply ofpres sure to the brake cylinder 5 and this presu sure in the brakecylinder exhausts from the i triple valve through the pipe 38. This enhaust pressure enters the lock-cylinder 31 and forces the lock-piston 32to the lett. The pawl 16 is automatically elevated and the piston rodreleased. The spring 13 now automatically returns the brake piston tothe starting position. Upon the reduction of pressure in thelock-cylinder 31 the spring 33 returns the lock-pist0n 32 to thestarting position, the pawl 16 again engaging with the teeth 14. Thepavvl 16 may be maturing" operated asfbeforcindicated.

It is to be understood that the form oi my' invention herewith shown anddescribed "e to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the ne, sise, and arrangement of parts may re sortedto Without departing from the pirit of the invention or the scope of thesubjoined ce claims. y

Having thus described the invention, l claim:

1. In apparatus of the character del scribed. the combination with abrake cylim der, of a brake piston mounted to move therein, a piston rodconnected with the piston, a. triple valve connected '.vfth the brakecylinder to control the passage of pressure therein and having anexhaust through Which pressure passes fromthe brake cylinder, pressureoperated means to engage the piston rod and lock the piston againstmovement, and means ol' communication between the exhaust of the triplevalve ar d the pressure operated means so that the pressurel operatedmeans is set into action by the eXv haust from the triple valve.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with yabrake cylinder, of a brake piston. mounted to move therein, a piston rodsecured to the piston, a triple valve to control the passage of pressure to the brake cylinder and having an exhaust through which pressurepasses from the brake cylinder, an element to engage 'with the pistonrod to lock it against movelshing communication between the exhaust ofthe triple valve and the lock-cylinder.

3. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a brakecylinder, of a brake piston mounted to move therein, a piston rodsecured to the brake piston, a triple' valve to control thepassage ofpressure to the brake cylinder and having an exhaust through whichpressure passes from the brake cylinder, an element to engage the pistonrod to lock it against move ment, a lock-cylinder, a lock-piston mountedto move therein and having connection with the element to move it, and aconduit connecting the lock-cylinder and exhaust of the triple valve andhaving a contracted port communicating with the atmosphere whereby thelock-piston fill not be improperly operated by leakage from the triplevalve.

4f. In apparatus of 4 the character described, the combination with abrake cylinder, of a brake piston mounted to move therein, a piston rodconnected with the piston and provided with a. longitudinal set o teeth,a movable pawl to engage and disenrgage the teeth, a lock-cylinder, alock-piston mounted to move therein, operative connectw ing meansbetween the lock-piston and pawl, and means to supply pressure to thelock cylinder.

5. In apparatus 'of the character de scribed, the 'combination with abrake cylinder, of a brake piston mounted to move therein, a tubularpiston rod connected .with the piston and provided with a longitudinalset of teeth, a' rod having connection with the brakerigging andextending into" the tubular pistomand an element to engage the teeth ofthe tubular rod to hold it" against movement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesseso"MURRAY HENRY. lWitnesses:

FOSTER BRADY, A. L. CHURCHILL,

